Liquid detergent dispenser



Oct. 22, 1963 R. 1.. PERL LIQUID DETERGENT DISPENSER 3"Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb; 14, 1961 INVENTOR. RICHARD L. PERL 0 mms Oct. 22, 1963 Filed Feb. 14, 1961 R. L. PERI.

LIQUID DETERGENT DISPENSER FIG. 2

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. RICHARD L. PERL BY ATTORNEYS Oct. 22, 1963 R. PERL I 3,107,824

I LIQUID DETERGENT DISPENSER Filed Feb. 14. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 v 1 FIG. 4

:- mmvrox RICHARD L. PERL BY WMYW QfKQM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,107,824 LIQUID DETERGENT DISPENSER Richard L. Perl, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to The Tappan Company, Mansfield, Ghio, a corporation of (lino Filed Feb. 14, 1961, Ser. No. 89,245 8 Claims. (Cl. 222--207) This invention relates to a dispenser for storage and supply of liquid detergent, with such dispenser being particularly suited for incorporation in an automatic dish washing machine and the like.

The use of a liquid detergent in such a machine is potentially adapted or lends itself to storage of a quantity of the liquid within the unit in excess of the charge normally used in each Washing operation, provided that there is some means for extracting and appropriately delivering the charge when needed. It is a primary object of my invention to provide such means in combination with a reservoir of considerable capacity relative to the normal charge, whereby the detergent is added at fairly long intervals of use instead of upon each operation of the machine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a l quid detergent dispenser which will be reliably operative over long periods of use, taking into account not only the mechanical nature of the assembly but the fact that certain parts must function in exposure to the liquid detergent and may consequently be influenced or affected by the characteristics of the same.

Another object is to provide a dispenser for liquid detergent which is especially suited for remote and prefcrably automatic control of its action, so that the d18- penser operation can readily be incorporated in a sequential control system of a modern dishwasher and the like.

It is another important object to provide such a dispenser having an adjustable delivery to permit the amount of the delivered charge to be varied in accordance with local water conditions, different washing requirements, and any other factors which call for nonuniform amounts of the detergent to be used.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a liquid detergent dispenser of the above improved characteristics which is nevertheless economical to manufacture and maintain.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features herin after fully described and particularly pointed out in theclairns, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embod ments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the new dispenser mounted within the door of a dish washing machine, with the door shown fragmented andpartially broken away for convenience;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, of the operating mechanism of the dispenser shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevation, partly in section, of a slightly different form of operating mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 55 in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a further section on an enlarged scale, the plane of which is indicated by the line 66 in FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the structure a perpendicular lifting bar 33 of a length which is 3,197,824 Patented Get. 22, 1963 designated generally by reference numeral 19 represents a dishwasher door which, in this case, would be located at the front of the machine and hinged along its bottom 11 for movement from a closed vertical position to a horizontal open position, this type of door and mounting being conventional in built-in dishwashers. The door is hollow, with spaced inner and outer walls 12 and 13, and the new dispenser is shown at the interior of the same.

Such dispenser comprises a generally flat container 14 forming a reservoir for liquid detergent 15 and made of a suitable plastic material resistant to the detergent. This container has a short fill tube 16 at the side thereof adjacent the inner wall 12 of the door and projecting through an opening provided in the latter. The detergent can thus be conveniently supplied to the container when the door is open, with the fill tube being closed and sealed by a threaded cap 17 and a small open tube 18 extending from the top portion of the noted container side wall to serve as a vent.

With the door vertical or closed, the container bottom 19 is inclined slightly toward a corner at which there is a vertical downward extension 20 of the container which is, as fabricated, open at the bottom. A bellows 21, made of rubber and the like, is inserted in the end of the exten-- sion 20, with an outwardly directed bottom flange portion 22 overlying the end of the extension. A closure plate 23 is fastened to such end of the extension for example, by screws 24 against the bellows, so that the latter serves as a gasket to seal the extension against escape of liquid.

The upper end wall 25 of the bellows is sandwiched be-- tween irmer and outer stiffening discs 26 and 27, with the three being centrally apertured and a tubular grommet 28 having flanged endsstaked in the aperture.

A rod 29 extends vertically through the top wall of the container 14 downwardly toward the bellows 21housed within the bottom extension. At its lower end, this rod is provided with an enlarged section 3% having a flat underside of a diameter greater than that of the grommetdefined aperture in the top end wall of the bellows. A rubber seat 31 is applied to such underside of the enlarged section for sealing engagement with the upper end of the grommet 28, and a reduced portion or connected pin 32 extends centrally from such seat through the grommet to greater than the grommet diameter.

The passage of the rod 29 through the top wall of the container is sealed by a seal bellows 34 clamped externally, or internally to such wall about the rod projection. The upper end 35 of the rod is reduced and threaded, with an inner clamp plate 36 at the inside .of the top wall of bellows 34 and an outer clamp and spring retainer plate. 37 overlying such bellows end wall. A nut 33 threaded on the reduced end of the rod tightly fastens these components to the rod in such assembled and sealed relation. A return spring v39 is positioned about the seal Wall of the container and its other end against the underside of the retainer plate 37.

A solenoid d9 of commercially available type is mounted vertically above the upper end of the rod 29 and has an armature 41 aligned therewith. The lower end of the armature carries an inverted spring retaining ring 42-, and a'drive spring 43is interposed between such ring and the retainer plate 37 fastened to the adjacent end of the rod 29. The upper, and also projecting, end of the armature 41 engages an eccentrically pivoted cam 44 for a. purpose to be described. V

Returningto the bottom of the container, the closure plate 23 is provided with a centrally located external nip pie .5, and a tube 46 of rubber or suitable plastic is con nected to the same. Such tube extends in appropriate. manner through the interior of the door ill to an elevated V opening 47 in the inner wall 12, where the tube is inwardly directed and terminates in a flattened, normally closed end 48. Such end formation serves as a check valve.

With regard now to the operation of the mechanism described, in the illustrated condition, the return spring 39 biases the rod 2-? upwardly to hold the bellows 21 in its extended condition as the result of the lifting bar engagement with the underside of the top grommet 28. This lifting of the rod is transmitted through the drive spring 43 to the solenoid armature 41 and limited by the engagement of the latter with the upper cam 44. The rubber seat 31 is raised from the top of the tubular grommet 28, and bar 33 only partially obscures the same, a quantity of the liquid detergent is permitted to flow through the grommet aperture to the interior of the bellows 2i and a fixed portion of the. discharge tube 46, the latter being a constant in the system operation.

When the solenoid 49 is energized by any appropriate means, for example, a regulated circuit of the dishwasher cycle control system, its armature 41 is forced downwardly to move the rod 29 through the drive spring 43 against and compressing the return spring 39. After a small increment of such movement or advance, the seat 31 engages the upper end of the grommet 28 to seal the interior of the bellows, and the latter is compressed to force the liquid therewithin through the tube 46 and the end check valve 45 of the same to the interior or" the machine. Upon deenergization of the solenoid, the return spring 39 lit-ts the rod 29 and raises or extends the bellows 21 for return to the illustrated condition, with the top bellows aperture of course being opened and liquid refilling the same. The bellows, while readily collapsible, will have that degree of stiffness suitable for such relative movement of the push rod and drive thereby in both collapsing and extending directions.

it will be seen that the upper cam 44 determines the extension of the bellows 21 and hence the volume of the delivery chamber formed by the same. Adjustment of the cam by a suitable external knob, not shown, is accordingly effective to vary the charge of the liquid dispensed or ejected. The drive spring 43 between the solenoid armature 4-1 and rod 29 is preferred to allow closure of the armature with minimum noise and shock on the bellows 21.

In the modification shown in PEG. 4, wherein primed reference numerals are applied to previously described components, the reservoir is provided with a bottom elbow connection 49 to a vertical dispensing chamber 58; The bellows 21' is disposed and operative in the lower portion of such chamber in the manner earlier described, with the vertical control rod 23" here having an extension 51 below the lifting bar 33 and terminating in a ribbed guide 52 slidably received in the closure plate nipple 53 to ensure centering of the rod in its reciprocation.

A different device is used to limit adjustably the upward travel or" therod 29' by the return spring 39, this device comprising a fork 54 having the ends of its arms pivoted on a horizontal pinSS supported at one side of .the return spring by uprights S6 projecting from the mounting bracket 57. The fork arms are provided with opposed inwardly projecting pins 53 which overlie the spring retainer plate 37 secured to the upper end of the rod 29', while the free end 59 of the fork is connected through a pivot 6i) to a choke wire 61 which extends through a flexible shield 62 to a remote actuator, not shown. Extension or retraction of the choke wire 62 is effective to change the angular position of the fork 54 and consequently the elevation at which the upward travel of the rod 29' under the influence of the return spring 39' 18 arrested, thereby to control adjustably the volume of the bellows 21 in its liquid receiving condition similarly as the adjustment of the cam 44 in the first described mechamsm.

forth as of bottom hinged type and would obviously be varied to suit other environments, for example, for top fill where the reservoir is located in a Wall of the washer.

Other modes of applying the principle of the'invention.

may be employed, change being made asregands the de tails described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed. 1, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

' bellows inwardly with respect to the cavity forcibly-to e ect liquid sealed therewithin by closure of the aperture A liquidedditiw dispenser comprising reservoir means for storing a quantity of'such additive, an outlet for liquid from the reservoir means including checkvalve means, a collapsible bellows within the reservoir means, said bellows having an aperture and being extensible to define a cavity in the reservoir means which is filled with the liquid thereof proceeding through said. aperture, means for adjusting the degree of cavity-defining extension'of the bellows to vary the volume of the cavity and there-- fore the amount of liquid received therein, and solenoidoperated means including a push rod and a valve member carried thereby, said solenoid-operated means being operative to advance said push rod so that the valve member closes the bellows aperture and the push rod collapses the through said outlet.

2. A liquid additive dispenser comprising reservoir means for storing a quantity of such additive, an outlet for liquid from the reservoir means including check valve means, a collapsible, extensible bellows in association with i said outlet, said bellows having an aperture in association with said reservoir whereby liquid may fill the bellows,

means for adjustably defining the degree of extension of the bellows to vary the volume of liquid received therein,

and solenoid-operated means including a push rod and a valve member carried thereby, said solenoid-operated means being operative to advance said push rod so that the valve member closes the bellows aperture and the push.

rod collapses the bellows forcibly to eject liquid sealed therewithin by closure of the aperture through said outlet.

3. A liquid additive dispenser for dish washing machines and the like comprising: a reservoir adapted to contain said liquid, a collapsible bellows member in association with said reservoir defining a separate delivery chamber v and having an opening for communication betweensaid chamber and the interior ofthe reservoir, outlet means for discharge of liquid from the delivery chamber, check valve means arranged in said outlet means to accommo date such discharge of liquid therethrough, solenoid means operativelymounted adjacent said reservoir means, means responsive to actuation of said solenoid means for closing said opening between said chamber and said reservoir and; collapsing said bellows member, means for adjustably defining the degree of extension of said bellows member to vary the volume of liquid received therein, said col- I lapsing means being operative forcibly to eject liquid contained within the chamber through the outlet.

' 4. A'liquid additive dispenser according to claim 3 wherein said collapsing means includes a solenoid-open atcd actuator rod in engagement with said valve member. 5. A liquid additive dispenser according to claim '3 wherein said collapsing means includes an actuator rod connected to a solenoid armature and said valve memberv advances to close the opening of the bellows member in response to actuation of saidrod by saidsolenoid arma-' turc.

6. A liquid additive dispenser according t l i 5 g 5 wherein the connection of said actuator rod and solenoid armature includes spring means.

7. A liquid additive dispenser according to claim 3 wherein said collapsing means includes drive spring means and an actuator rod cooperating therewith to provide 5 collapse of said bellows, and return spring means for eX- tending said bellows member.

8. A liquid detergent dispenser for dish washing machines and the like, comprising a reservoir adapted to contain a quantity of the liquid detergent in excess of the normal individual charge of the same used in a given washing operation, a collapsible bellows member associated with said reservoir defining a separate delivery chamher and having an opening for communication between said chamber and the interior of the reservoir, spring 15 means for biasing said bellows to an extended position to define a maximum liquid cavity, means for adjusta'bly limiting the degree of cavity-defining extension of the beliows to vary the volume of the cavity and therefore the amount of liquid received therein, valve means for closing said opening, outlet means for discharge of liquid from the delivery chamber, check valve means arranged in said outlet means to accommodate such discharge of liquid therethrough, solenoid means operatively mounted adjacent said reservoir, and drive spring means responsive to actuation of said solenoid for effecting closure of said valve means and coliapsing of said bellows to force 10 the liquid contained therewithin through said outlet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A LIQUID ADDITIVE DISPENSER COMPRISING RESERVOIR MEANS FOR STORING A QUANTITY OF SUCH ADDITIVE, AN OUTLET FOR LIQUID FROM THE RESERVOIR MEANS INCLUDING CHECK VALVE MEANS, A COLLAPSIBLE BELLOWS WITHIN THE RESERVOIR MEANS, SAID BELLOWS HAVING AN APERTURE AND BEING EXTENSIBLE TO DEFINE A CAVITY IN THE RESERVOIR MEANS WHICH IS FILLED WITH THE LIQUID THEREOF PROCEEDING THROUGH SAID APERTURE, MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE DEGREE OF CAVITY-DEFINING EXTENSION OF THE BELLOWS TO VARY THE VOLUME OF THE CAVITY AND THERE- 